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Course Description

Sites, Games, and Tools for Training covers the principles and practices of creating instructional designs for e-websites, and presents the principles of designing electronic games and e-tools that can be used for training or leisure. The course blends instructional strategies and technologies using web design, digital video, animation, gaming and mobile delivery formats. Students learn five applications that can be developed as templates for creating online or on-ground videos, animations, and games using open-source technologies and delivering these via online and mobile delivery.

The instructor uses learner-centered, authentic assessments to gauge each student's understanding and mastery of applications and course materials.

Learning Outcomes

The design of this course will enable students to:

Enhance understanding of the technologies presented in this course and facilitate flexibility, adaptability and agency in the design of electronic sites, E-Games and E-Tools for training and leisure.

Develop enhanced technology offerings and be able to apply each to appropriate learning environments;

Engage/enhance skills in developing E-Sites, E-Games and E-Tools in a number of organizational and leisure environments and present opportunities for collaborative learning by participating within a community of learners, and,

Produce working-products of several E-Sites, E-Games and E-Tools that demonstrate the student's abilities and competencies learned in this class.

Demonstrate student's ability to self-assess what (s)he learned using authentic assessments of the products (s)he created in this class.

Learning Strategies

This course will be conducted as an ongoing invitation to all of its "learners" (instructor & students) to contribute and exchange knowledge, ideas, and insights related to creating educational offerings using the tools presented in this course. Methods will include:

Active and focused engagement by all participants (instructor & students) in accordance with the mission and principles of the School for New Learning.

Software

Other free (or 30 day free trial) downloadable software that required for some of the course modules, such as Go Animate, Sploder, Toon Boom, Spelunky, Ning, Movie Maker, Inkscape, GIMP, PaintShop Pro, and other software apps.

Any and all resources pertaining to the student's individualized focus area.

The course will also present the necessary technology and instructional design tools so that students can design their own training program and develop a basic training and performance plan that reflects their own work environments.

Prerequisite

Basic computer skills, including the ability to use and save work with Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. The competencies applied for this course are: H2X, S1D, S3X, FX.

Course Learning Goals and Deliverables

After completing this course, you will:

Be able to recognize and use design tools for designing websites, animations, games and mobile delivery applications.

Be able to design sites, games, videos and tools recognizing different types of virtual environments where these tools could be applied for work as well as recreation.

Be able to create a basic screencast-enhanced video, animation, and game unique to the student's work or recreational environment.

Be able to demonstrate understanding of the basic principles of mobile delivery of application programs by setting up an application delivered using mobile delivery.

Be able to generally assess and evaluate strengths and weaknesses of animation and game application programs.

Note: assignments take into account diverse learning preferences of students and include 'scaffolding' throughout the course to support students' progress to high standards of achievement.

Course Competencies

In this course, you will develop the following competencies:

Competence

Competence Statement and Criteria

H2X

Institutions and Organizations Subcategory written by student/faculty

S1D

Can design and plan an information technology solution for a problem

S3X

Science, Technology and Society Subcategory. Written by student/faculty

FX

(Written by student/faculty). Student must have the permission of her/his professional advisor to take this course as a competency for her/his focus area and the course must satisfy the competencies emphasized in the student's focus area.

How the Competences Will Be Demonstrated in this Course

The competencies (H2X, S1D, S3X, and FX) will be demonstrated through the learning interactivities and assignments of this course, and through the designs of authentic final projects using the tools presented in this course completed and demonstrated by each student.

Learning Deliverables

Assignments

In brief, the assignments associated with this course are shown below as follows:

to prepare for all modules in accordance with the Sites, Games and Tools ten module assignments.

to participate in the discussion conferences and at least two synchronous (Skype, Zoom) instructor/student sessions

to adhere to all policies/procedures as outlined in the syllabus (participation, posting, academic integrity, etc.).

Week Due

Assignments

Points

Weeks 1-10

Participation

10

Week 1

1.1 Module 1 Summary Discussion

1.2 Website Creation Discussion

1

11

Week 2

2.1 Summary Discussion

1

Week 3

3.1 Module 3 Summary Discussion

3.2 PowerPoint Screencast Project Discussion

1

15

Week 4

4.1 Module 4 Summary Discussion

1

Week 5

5.1 Module 5 Summary Discussion

5.2 Video Editing Discussion

1

15

Week 6

6.1 Module and Text Discussion

6.2 Animation Preparation Discussion

1

5

Week 7

7.1 Module and Text Discussion

7.2 Animation Discussion

1

5

Week 8

8.1 Module and Text Discussion

2

Week 9

9.1 Game/Mobile App Discussion

20

Week 11

10.1 Reflective Analysis Paper

10

Course Schedule

This course consists of 5 modules. The estimated time to complete each module is one week.

To see specific course due dates, click on the Calendar on the course home page.

Grades (including "incompletes")

In terms of grading, the following grade distinctions are offered. If interested, students may seek input from the instructor with respect to high-medium-low (A–B).

Grade

Criteria

Exceptional

(4.0/A)

Excellent work that meets all deadlines

Participation and contribution exceeding course requirements.

Online classes must have participation, with students posting and being in the course at least 3-4 times weekly.

Turning in assignments on time in turning in assignments that not only meet but exceed all of the requirements for each assignment: dynamic listening/responding; writing with few—if any—errors; exceptional engagement & initiative in contribution to personal and group learning.

Strong

(3.0/B)

Basic proficiency

Participation and contribution solidly meeting course requirements.

Contributions drawn from personal experience—primarily from assigned readings and conversations in online classes.

Unsatisfactory/insufficient completion of course. (Course must be retaken in order to qualify for degree completion.)

Incomplete (IN)

Incompletes (IN) are rare and are assigned only in cases involving clearly exceptional and unforeseen circumstances as negotiated between the student and the instructor prior to the course's Final Deadline Date and as recorded within a completed "Contract for the Issuance of an Incomplete (IN) Grade."

Generally, at least 2/3rds of the class must be completed in order to receive an incomplete grade in this course.

Course Policies

Attendance/Participation

Participation is expected in all module sessions, both in discussion posts and interactive sessions. These modules are time-based. Participation includes posting in the online discussions at least several times weekly and turning in assignments to the instructor by the due dates. Any absence of three or more weeks of no posts to Discussions could require retaking the course and repaying tuition!

Plagiarism

In support of this policy, Turn-It-In (plagiarism prevention service) may be used at the discretion of the instructor. Any identified evidence of plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the seminar and does not preclude the University from taking further punitive action, including possible dismissal.

College and University Policies

This course includes and adheres to the college and university policies described in the links below:

Additional Course Resources

About the Instructor

Dr. Gannon Cook is an Associate Professor & Faculty Mentor at SNL/DePaul. She also serves on DePaul University's Faculty Council. Her undergraduate in Business and Masters of Science in Educational Administration are from Loyola University. She received her Ed.D. from the University of Houston, with an emphasis in Instructional Design (2003). She also received a Certificate for Advanced Studies from the Queens College, Cambridge, United Kingdom, with an emphasis in Change Diffusion and Technology Integration.

Dr. Gannon Cook's post-doctoral work has been in the areas of instructional systems design, training and human performance, and semiotics in online learning. She has published a book, twenty book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles and has presented at over 100 conferences around the world. In addition, she is the Editor of the Journal of Educators Online, an international peer-reviewed online journal. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Cordell Hull Foundation for International Education (of the United Nations), and on the Girl Scouts of America's Chicago Council of 100.​